unplanned

adjective

un·​planned ˌən-ˈpland 

: not expected or intended : not planned

an unplanned detour

an unplanned pregnancy

Synonyms of unplanned

• accidental
• unexpected

Examples of unplanned in a Sentence

an unplanned change in our itinerary—we got lost!

stumbled through a completely unplanned acceptance speech

Recent Examples on the Web

That was an unplanned withdrawal spurred by the new Syrian government’s push against the United States' Syrian Kurdish partners. — Luis Martinez, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026

Cutting the song could’ve gotten the show closer to airing live, and the best VMA moments are always the unplanned ones. — Isabella Albaig, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026

Brown was dutifully working an unplanned overtime shift during the storm, neighbors said. — Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 27 Sep. 2026

Engineering spent the following months working around a foundation that had never been built, absorbing unplanned effort the original schedule had never accounted for. — Hiren Dhaduk, Forbes.com, 24 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1775, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unplanned

• ampersand
• beforehand
• behindhand
• bottomland
• contraband
• countermand
• dixieland
• fairyland
• fatherland
• firebrand
• hinterland
• motherland